The decline of the Black Plague was one of the reasons for the beginning of the Renaissance, as now that people could focus on things other than staying alive. They could instead engage in art, mathematics, and science. Medical Practices Chemistry Astronomy Bloodletting was a dangerous practice and caused the immune system to weaken due to loss of blood, leaving the victim susceptible to disease. Chemistry in the Renaissance began as Alchemy. Is it Legitimate? The Belief That Medical Advances Were Not Real Alchemy- an early, unscientific form of chemistry that sought to change base metals into gold and discover a life-prolonging elixir, a universal cure for disease. Although there were several medical advances made during the Renaissance, several people did not support these advances. The common practice before these advances were often simple and sometimes dangerous home remedies. Many doctors that were part of the "old school" type continued to practice their outdated procedures as they had a large clientele of people that believed in their practices. Life Expectancy in the Renaissance Due to the end of the terrible era of the Plague, or Black Death, life expectancy in the Renaissance increased to about 30-50 years for most people. Astronomy is the study of space orthe "heavens". Many advances were made in thisfield during theRenaissance. Advances in Science and Medicine later increased the life expectancy of most people by even more. Such an advancement would be the proposal that the solar system was centered around the sun by Nicolaus Copernicus, towards the end of the Renaissance. Galen The Renaissance marked the start of many medical practice advances. One of the most notable ones was the study of human anatomy.

This era also led to an advancement in artificial legs. Ambrose Paré made many advances with them During the previous Middle Ages, the medical world considered Galen's writings to be infallible. Galen was an ancient Greek living in Rome who had developed the concepts of Hippocrates, "The Father of Medicine." Most of the things he wrote were either completely wrong or dangerous to the patient. During the Renaissance, many new doctors started to lean away from his teachings and instead tried to find safer and more practical medical procedures. Not to beconfusedwith astrology. Alchemy was a mixture of philosophy, some science, and religion. Although today we know that the goal of alchemy is unattainable, alchemist such as Sir Isaac Newton would provide many advances for later science in chemistry, physics, and more. End of the Plague